SongLark
Bird call
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) call
Loud, clear whistled phrases, cheer-cheer-cheer or birdie-birdie-birdie; a sharp metallic chip.
Listen to the Northern Cardinal call
A field recording of the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) by roy pilcher, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Northern Cardinal in urban and garden habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Northern Cardinal
These birds belong to the cardinal family, like the Northern Cardinal, so their calls can sound alike.
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Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea
A hoarse, burry robin-like song and a distinctive chip-burr call.
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Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
A sweet, rich robin-like warble, and a squeaky eek call like a sneaker on a gym floor.
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Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
Bright, paired phrases: fire-fire, where-where, here-here, see-it, see-it.
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Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
A hoarse, robin-like song of short phrases, and a rising, rattled pit-er-ick call.
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Black-headed Grosbeak Pheucticus melanocephalus
A rich, rolling song like a robin that took singing lessons, and a sharp, squeaky pik.
Questions
Questions about the Northern Cardinal
What does the Northern Cardinal sound like?
Loud, clear whistled phrases, cheer-cheer-cheer or birdie-birdie-birdie; a sharp metallic chip. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Northern Cardinal?
Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Western Tanager and Black-headed Grosbeak sound similar.
Where can I hear the Northern Cardinal?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of Eastern North America course.
How can I learn the Northern Cardinal call?
In SongLark's Birds of Eastern North America course, it comes in Level 1: Backyard & Feeder. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Northern Cardinal in its Birds of Eastern North America course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of Eastern North America, the Northern Cardinal comes in Level 1: Backyard & Feeder. That Level is about the birds you hear every day.
Learn it with these birds in Level 1 of Birds of Eastern North America
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American Robin Turdus migratorius
Rich caroling phrases, cheerily cheer-up cheerio; a scolding tut-tut-tut.
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Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
A harsh, scolding jay! jay! and a squeaky pumphandle call; often mimics Red-shouldered Hawk.
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Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
A buzzy chick-a-dee-dee-dee, and in late winter a clear, whistled fee-bee that falls in pitch.
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Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
A loud, whistled peter-peter-peter, repeated from treetops all year.
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Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
A big voice for a small bird: a rolling teakettle-teakettle-teakettle, sung all year.
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Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
A mournful coo-OO-oo-oo-oo; wings whistle sharply on takeoff.
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House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
A long warbling tumble ending in a slurred, rising burr.
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American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
A cheerful po-ta-to-chip in bouncing flight, and a long, canary-like song of twitters.
Get SongLark
Learn Northern Cardinal in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Northern Cardinal.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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- One account, every device. Your progress syncs between devices.